Zen Count Card Counting System
The Zen Count is a balanced level-2 system. 2, 3 and 7 are +1, 4, 5 and 6 are +2, ten-value cards are -2, the ace is -1, and 8 and 9 are 0. Because the ace is in the main count, Zen needs no side count.
- Level
- 2
- Balanced
- Yes
- True count
- Yes
- Difficulty
- Hard
Zen Card Values
| Cards | Tag | Per deck |
|---|---|---|
| 4-6 | +2 | 12 cards |
| 2-3, 7 | +1 | 12 cards |
| 8-9 | 0 | 8 cards |
| A | -1 | 4 cards |
| 10 | -2 | 16 cards |
"10" means every ten-value card: 10, J, Q and K. Add the tags over a full deck and you get exactly 0, which is how you check your practice runs.
How to Count Zen
- Start at 0 after every shuffle.
- Keep a running count. Add each card's tag as it is dealt. Count in pairs where you can: a card tagged +2 and a card tagged -2 cancel to 0.
- Convert to a true count. Divide the running count by the decks remaining in the shoe. A running count of +6 with 3 decks left is a true count of +2. Base bets and deviations on the true count.
Practice the conversion with the true count drill, and read running count vs true count for the theory.
Published Efficiency
| Measure | Zen | Hi-Lo |
|---|---|---|
| Betting correlation | 0.96 | 0.97 |
| Playing efficiency | 0.63 | 0.51 |
| Insurance correlation | 0.85 | 0.76 |
Widely published values from standard comparison tables, such as those by Arnold Snyder, Stanford Wong and the Wizard of Odds, not results from our own simulations. See the full comparison.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- A betting correlation of 0.96, close to Hi-Lo, with higher playing efficiency (0.63) and insurance correlation (0.85).
- No ace side count: one number to track.
- Balanced, so the true count works at any shoe size.
Cons
- Two-level tags are slower and more error-prone than Hi-Lo's single level.
- Needs true count conversion.
- Rated Hard: the gain over Hi-Lo is modest for the extra effort.
Who Zen Suits
Advanced players who want a level-2 count without the burden of an ace side count, in any game size.
Usually credited to Arnold Snyder, Blackbelt in Blackjack.
Frequently Asked Questions
On paper it is stronger for playing and insurance decisions and nearly as strong for betting. In practice the extra effort of two-level tags only pays if you can keep the count just as accurate and fast as you could with Hi-Lo.
The Zen Count is credited to Arnold Snyder, who published it in Blackbelt in Blackjack.
No. The ace is tagged -1 in the main count, which is the main practical difference from Hi-Opt II and Omega II.